Lilia hissed in pain as her hair was yanked back harshly, her scalp burning from the brutal grip.
Her breaths ca in short, uneven gasps, her throat tightening as she fought against the pain. She barely had ti to react before his cracked, amused voice sliced through the thick silence of the night.
His voice dripping with cruel amusent.
"Jake found her. Found the bitch," the man muttered under his breath, almost laughing to himself. His fingers dug into her scalp, twisting the strands between his rough hands, sending sharp waves of pain through her skull.
She clenched her teeth, willing herself not to make a sound. Not to give him the satisfaction.
Then, as if suddenly realizing sothing, he lifted his head and turned slightly, his grip never loosening.
"Jake," he called out, his tone more serious now.
For a brief mont, there was no response.
It was then that he realized—Jake wasn’t supposed to be here. He had told him to check the other side.
"Fucking shit, all your fault," he spat under his breath.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Lilia barely had a mont to breathe before another violent tug sent her stumbling forward. Her body lurched, muscles straining as she fought to stay upright. The pain shot through her like a live wire, making her eyes sting with unshed tears.
The foul-slling man yanked her head violently toward the car, his rapid pace making it difficult for her to keep up.
And then—
A sharp slap.
The impact sent her head snapping to the side. A searing sting spread across her cheek, the force rattling her teeth. Her vision blurred for a second, white-hot pain flooding her senses. The taste of copper pooled on her tongue, warm and tallic.
Her body trembled—not just from the pain, but from the raw disgust curling in her stomach.
"Behave," the man warned, his voice low, cold. "Follow instructions. Don’t be stubborn, or do you want to send so ’cutie’ to make you behave and follow orders?"
His words dripped with mockery, each syllable laced with sothing sickly sweet. Like he was enjoying this. Like she was nothing more than a plaything for his amusent.
Her stomach twisted in revulsion.
His fingers moved next, gripping her chin, forcing her head up. She had no choice but to look at him.
His brown eyes glead in the dim light, dark with sothing twisted. Sothing that made her skin crawl. He tilted her face from side to side, inspecting her, examining her like she was nothing more than a product to be appraised.
A slow smirk crept onto his lips.
"Oh my... she is outstandingly beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself. His fingers lingered on her jaw, pressing just enough to make her wince. "No wonder Boss is interested... I finally see why he is."
Boss.
That word sent a fresh wave of fear through her.
Her pulse pounded in her ears, her heartbeat a frantic drum against her ribs. Who was this ’Boss’? And what did he want with her?
Lilia recoiled, her skin crawling under the weight of his gaze. The way his fingers traced along her jaw made nausea rise in her throat. She clenched her jaw, fists tightening against the bindings around her wrists.
Then—acting on pure instinct—she snapped her head forward.
Hard.
The impact was instant.
A sickening crack echoed in the night as her forehead smashed against his nose.
Blood splattered onto her skin. The man let out a sharp curse, stumbling back as he clutched his face. His grip on her hair finally loosened.
"Fuck!" he spat, blood dripping between his fingers. His breathing turned heavy, ragged. He glared at her through narrowed eyes, fury burning behind them.
But Lilia didn’t cower.
She wouldn’t let them break her. Not now. Not ever.
She took a shaky step back, her mind racing. She could run—she had to.
Just as she turned, his hand shot out.
His fingers wrapped around her wrist, sharp and unforgiving. Before she could react, another slap landed across her cheek.
Pain exploded through her face.
Her vision spun, the edges darkening. She tasted blood as it dripped from her lips, her head ringing from the force of the blow.
The man yanked at the cloth tied around her mouth, loosening it. She stiffened, barely breathing as he leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear.
"Thank your stars you belong to the Boss," he sneered. "If not, I would’ve done things you’d never wish for."
Lilia’s entire body shuddered in disgust.
This Boss again.
The word echoed in her mind like a curse.
She was no one’s possession. She didn’t belong to anyone. The re suggestion made her skin crawl.
The man gripped her bound hands and began dragging her forward again. She stumbled, her feet struggling to keep up with his pace, but her mind was spinning.
She had to find a way out.
And then—
She saw her chance.
The mont he opened the car door, she twisted and lashed out.
Her leg flew forward, her knee aiming directly between his legs.
She had never done this before, so she made sure to make the kick strong enough to make him fall.
And it worked.
The man let out a strangled curse, doubling over in agony. His grip on her released instantly. He stumbled backward, his head colliding with the back of the car. The force sent him sprawling onto the ground.
Pain and shock twisted his expression, his eyes wide with disbelief. He hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t thought she was capable of fighting back.
He had underestimated her.
But Lilia didn’t stay to watch.
She ran.
Her feet pounded against the earth, her breath ragged, her chest heaving as she pushed forward. The towering trees blurred past her, their shadows stretching like claws against the ink-black sky.
The cold night air bit into her skin, each gust sharp as a blade. But she didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
The road stretched before her, empty and endlessly dark, a void swallowing the last traces of hope.
Her hands were bound. Her wrists burned, raw from the coarse rope digging into her flesh. Her lips bled, swollen from the cruel force of that slap. Strands of damp hair clung to her face, sticky with sweat and blood. She could taste the iron on her tongue, and feel the faint tremble in her lips as she fought to hold back the sobs clawing at her throat.
Pain pulsed through her skull, a dull, throbbing ache that made her vision swim. Warm blood trickled down the side of her face, following the curve of her jaw before disappearing into the hollow of her neck.
Every muscle ached. Every step sent fresh pain slicing through her legs.
Still, she ran.
Darkness pressed in from all sides. The trees lood, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers, reaching, swaying, watching. The whispers of unseen dangers rustled through the night, slipping between the leaves like hushed warnings.
But she had no choice.
She had to keep going.
Then—
"You bitch, stop there!"
The voice cut through the night, sharp, jagged with rage.
Lilia’s breath caught.
Her body stiffened.
Slowly, she turned her head just enough to see him—Jake.
The other man.
His figure lood in the distance, his movents frantic, his breath heavy. Even in the dark, she could see his eyes, wild with fury.
Tears welled in her own, burning hot as they slipped down her face.
To her surprise, what hurt the most was realizing how desperately she wanted to see Zethan.
But she wasn’t sure if she could keep up—it felt impossible with the man already so close. Running felt fatal, yet all she wanted was to see him one last ti. To hold him. To feel him.
And for so unknown reason, a tiny hope remained—a hope that she would see him. Even though it felt absurd to think this way at such a mont, that hope still lingered.
Her pace faltered.
The bindings around her wrists pulled with every movent, restricting her balance. The rough gravel beneath her bare feet tore into her skin, each step a fresh wound. Pain throbbed in places she could no longer na, but she didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
All of this—because she had tried to help an animal.
The thought made her stomach twist.
How could people be so cruel? How could they take sothing innocent and turn it into a tool for such vile acts?
Her breath hitched.
Behind her, Jake cursed, his footsteps pounding closer.
He was gaining on her.
"You bitch, co back here now! If I catch you, I will—"
Then—
Blinding headlights pierced the darkness.
A car.
Speeding.
Coming straight toward her.
Her breath caught.
Her legs froze.
mories surged like a storm, flashing through her mind—dark eyes, a promise, silver hair, a na that ant everything.
Tears slid down her cheeks. Her lips parted, and in a trembling whisper, she spoke the only na that had ever mattered.
"Zethan... I love you."
And then—
CRASH!
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